Home / Career Explorer / Production

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

	Median Wage (USD, 2025)	Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)	Projected Growth (2025-2035)
National Statistics	$46570	5300	-2.2%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$46570

Median Wage (USD, 2025)

5300

Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)

-2.2%

Projected Growth (2025-2035)

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Weigh finished products.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Operate cutting equipment.
Sort materials or products for processing, storing, shipping, or grading.
Stack finished items for further processing or shipment.
Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications.
Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
Conduct test runs of production equipment.
Select production equipment according to product specifications.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
Clean production equipment.
Lubricate production equipment.
Lift materials or workpieces using cranes or other lifting equipment.
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
Signal others to coordinate work activities.
Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.
Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Position raw materials on processing or production equipment.
Operate pumps or compressors.
Control pumps or pumping equipment.
Replace worn equipment components.
Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Set equipment guides, stops, spacers, or other fixtures.
Direct operational or production activities.
Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Operate grinding equipment.
Sharpen cutting or grinding tools.
Clean workpieces or finished products.
Clean objects.
Clean materials to prepare them for production.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Remove defective or substandard materials from machines, and readjust machine components so that products meet standards.
Maintain production records, such as quantities, types, and dimensions of materials produced.
Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.
Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.
Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.
Adjust machine controls to alter position, alignment, speed, or pressure.
Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.
Remove completed materials or products from cutting or slicing machines, and stack or store them for additional processing.
Stack and sort cut material for packaging, further processing, or shipping, according to types and sizes of material.
Type instructions on computer keyboards, push buttons to activate computer programs, or manually set cutting guides, clamps, and knives.
Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools.
Position stock along cutting lines, or against stops on beds of scoring or cutting machines.
Monitor operation of cutting or slicing machines to detect malfunctions or to determine whether supplies need replenishment.
Feed stock into cutting machines, onto conveyors, or under cutting blades, by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels.
Move stock or scrap to and from machines manually, or by using carts, handtrucks, or lift trucks.
Change or replace saw blades, cables, cutter heads, and grinding wheels, using hand tools.
Clean and lubricate cutting machines, conveyors, blades, saws, or knives, using steam hoses, scrapers, brushes, or oil cans.
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
Mark cutting lines or identifying information on stock, using marking pencils, rulers, or scribes.
Start pumps to circulate water and abrasives onto blades or cables during cutting.
Direct workers on cutting teams.
Operate cranes, or signal crane operators to position or remove stone from cars or saw beds.
Tighten pulleys or add abrasives to maintain cutting speeds.
Position width gauge blocks between blades, and level blades and insert wedges into frames to secure blades to frames.
Sharpen cutting blades, knives, or saws, using files, bench grinders, or honing stones.
Cut stock manually to prepare for machine cutting, using tools such as knives, cleavers, handsaws, or hammers and chisels.
Turn cranks or press buttons to activate winches that move cars under sawing cables or saw frames.
Wash stones, using water hoses.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Session has been expired